MATCO TOOLS Franchise Complaints: Have you had any dealings with MATCO Tools or the MATCO Tools franchise? Please share a comment about your experience – good or bad – below, as well as advice for those considering investing in a MATCO Tools franchise.Also read:FRANCHISE LAWSUIT Alleges Matco Tools Scam, TD Bank Fraud

We received the following franchise warning about the MATCO TOOLS franchise opportunity. According to commenter “TOMMY CHEUNG” :

“STAY AWAY FROM MATCO TOOLS. THEY WILL SELL YOU A BILL OF GOODS,WHICH IS NO GOOD.

“RUMOR HAS IT ,MATCO MAKES MORE MONEY SIGNING NEW FRANCHISES THAN THEY DO TAKING CARE OF THEIR CURRENT ONES.

“DARYL PRITCHETT AND MIKE RAMEY WORK TOGETHER TO SIGN YOU UP AND THEN KICK YOU TO THE CURB. I AM WORKING ON A LAWSUIT AGAINST MATCO, HOPING TO TURN IT INTO A CLASS ACTION SUIT. YOU MAY CONTACT JERRY MARKS AT MARKS AND KLEIN LAW FIRM AT [redacted], IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.

“I INVESTED ALOT OF MONEY IN MATCO AND AFTER 3.5 YEARS THEY SHUT ME DOWN. WHEN THE ECONOMY SLOWED IN 2008,THEY PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS.

“I ALSO SPOKE TO A PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE, WHO CALLED ME, AND STATED THATS THE WAY MATCO DOES BUSINESS. STAY AWAY FROM MATCO TOOLS AND RUN LIKE HELL WHEN YOU SEE THEM. I REPEAT DO NOT BUY OR INVEST IN MATCO TOOLS…”

Marks & Klein is a legitimate franchise law firm that often represents franchisees in lawsuits against their franchisors, but we haven’t verified with them whether a lawsuit against Matco Tools is in the works or not.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS MATCO TOOLS A GOOD FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, A FAIR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY OR A FRANCHISE SCAM?

If you’ve had dealings with Matco Tools, please share a comment below.

Probably working out just like those routes they sell. Routes which a District Manager goes out and surveys asking the shop owner if they want service and how many employees he has. Half the time it is just a phone call. The District Manager does not ask how many full time techs that use their tools 40 hours a week to perform there job. Which is what Matco will need to give the customer credit. The District Manager does not ask if the employees are American and here legally. I think a potential customer to a Matco District Manager is anyone that has a pulse and is at the shop. I take that back because when a false survey of my route was performed after I received a separation notice from Matco and demanded a survey be performed which had been promised for over a year my shops were not surveyed in person because the person doing a survey would have known that some shops on his list were out of business and reduced in head count. I guess he wanted to make me out a liar to management so he inflated the shops head count with false numbers to get the number he desired. I am pretty sure that is committing an “artifice to defraud” but good look finding an attorney who wants to pursue honesty in a business relationship. There are no merits in law when it comes to franchising. Arkansas Franchise Practices Act says Matco committed a felony against my franchise but the Attorney General says its a federal matter. My Senator says its not a federal matter but a state matter. In fact he told me to contact the Attorney General. The only thing I know to be the truth is that in franchising “NO ONE” will hold a franchisor accountable for the actions of a franchisor. Even when they are using older NON FRANCHISEE distributors to churn the newer franchisee distributors to the tune of 1000 to 1200 of their less than 1500 franchisees over a five year period. My graduation class of franchisees had 10 in it. Out of 10 there is only one left. In Arkansas, there have been more franchisees churned over a five year period than the number of routes that are available for franchisees. Around 150% churn in Arkansas alone over a 7 year period. This is the standard for Matco! CHURN! CHURN! CHURN!

im pissed the the inbread people that work for this company. ive spent thousands with matco as well as my shop. they have poor communication, lack of intelligence, their automated phone system is a joke. theyll lie to your face and hang up on your calls. I warn you to not buy or support this mickey mouse tools company. you will be sorry.

Got screwed fast & hard by Matco Tools Corp. as a new franchisee August 2013.
After only 11 weeks of being in business, Matco Tools shut my operation down claiming I was not producing enough sales! Funny I thought this was MY business & I was completely happy with the way things were going so far. So after a mountain of debt & my business being stolen from me after 11 weeks, I’m left wondering what I am going to do. The distric manager, trainer, & distric manager’s son (distributor) all conspired together to end my business, which they did! My business was located in Ontario Canada and I am sorry I ever became a franchisee in Canada, I’m out over $130,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good bye retirement.

I don’t know if this post will make it but I want to tell you guys I appreciate you posting the facts about Matco on here and I encourage you to do it more and get your friends who feel as you do to do it. I am one of those churned franchisees and had complete fraud imposed on my business. I searched the internet for (still kind of new in 2004) information in 2004 which might give me some insight but there was none. If I would have read what was posted about Matco now I would have never made that mistake. Thank You!

I was a distributor for 11 years all I got to say is when they want something they get it you take all the Risk do countless hours of warranty repair for nothing god forbid you get sick for a week and dont pay the tool bill you go on hold and it will take you at least a month to get out of that jam and than when its time to check out and you have a large inventory to send back it will cost a couple grand in shipping and matco charges 15 percent than sends most of it back saying deleted tool our truck wear and than after all that its months before you get a check

Mark Ficher out of Mobile, Al sold my husband a tool ($280) and husband returned the tool after a week after receipt. At no time was husband told how much the restocking fee would be (I have no problem with paying one, I just want to know how much it will be) However, husband made two payments of $30 towards the fee. Today (4Apr14) Matco Man called my phone and tried to bully a $50 payment out of me. I demanded to know what the total restock fee is, he said ‘Well, as a payment in Sept was rejected…bottom line is he owes $50’ I looked up said payment and saw it had, in fact, gone through. However, the total due did not decrease by $50. I demanded an invoice. ‘Well, there is no invoice, as he returned the tool’ (thinking to myself, if there is no invoice, there is nothing owed) ‘but regardless he owes $50,…or he can buy the tool.’ I stated without an invoice there would be no payment. He said he would get on it. Then he immediately calls my husband and bullies him into an immediate payment ($10, bringing total paid to $70), failing to mention my demand for an invoice. Matco’s site states a 35% (max) restock fee (being a specialty tool, I’m assuming the max), which would be $98. Meaning a balance due of $28. All I desired was a bill after the amount due did not change after a payment was proven paid. It began to get sketchy. The local Mac Man never gave me problems with bills (he printed them out on site when requested). I understand the company can screw truck men over, however truck owners like this Matco guy give the rest a bad name.

In keeping with great tradition of CHURNING franchisees Matco terminated 27 franchisees from their franchise in 2013. 161 Ceased operation for other reasons and 5 (10 year) franchisees were NOT renewed. With a year end total of operating franchises at 1426 Matco added 16 more franchisees than the previous years 1410. One must ask themselves if about 200 franchisees lose their franchise each year HOW MANY YEARS WILL I BE ABLE TO KEEP MY NEW FRANCHISE!!! If there is 30% of Matco franchisees with a SEPARATE agreement called a Distributorship or a Charter who have larger routes with undefined customer head count will that make me at a disadvantage with a LOC (List Of Calls) and a defined point of sale location??? USE WHAT GOD GAVE YOU!!! Know that fraud perpetuated by a Fortune 500 company called DANAHER is just that FRAUD!!!

I am a master auto technician and have made the mistake of buying matco tools in the past. In my area dealers for matco might last for 6 months. And we wait with broken tools till some pour fool signs on as a distributed and he gets hammered with warranty tools for a month.I’ve worked for corporate shops that had other locations in other cities and we would send all our tools to that shop to have them delt with. That dealer is gone now and out of the 7shops in Michigan they have no dealers. On average I would say it takes me at least 2 years to get anything taken care of I will never buy from matco again

My grandson bought tools from Matco distributor right out of technical school. Isn’t it nice that these vultures prey on the young kids and take their money, then if they should lose their job, which is very common in our economy, their repossess their box and resell it with all their tools. My grandson paid almost $2400, and owes $1600, he was laid off, and now Matco distributor took his box, and is going to sell it, as they say their contract states you have to have a job for your box to be placed in. Are they out of their minds, they give you 10 days to get a job. Wow, it took me 18 months to get a job after my company was taken over by FDIC. I spoke with several idiots at Matco, they could care less, and let me tell you, I spoke to a VP in Matco, he doesn’t give a you know what.
His grandfather wants to make payments on the box, however, since there is no job in the horizon, they are repossessing and selling the box. So know how much do you figure they make doing this time and time again. The government really needs to look into these types of companies. Come on America, lets stand up for our rights, this is not what our forefathers wanted out of this country.

Before you sign anything take the list of calls and go to each shop and talk to these people, you might just save your self a lot of trouble and MONEY. I’ve been at this for 10 months and have failed due to the area I was given. Route survey not done correctly, head count on route WAY OFF, on paper showed 375 in actuality more like 180. Previous distributor left too many people out there with bad feelings and would not come back to Matco. This your business but with everything that you have to do it feels more like your owned by this company with out any of the benefits. In my area they are more concerned about selling franchises not keeping the ones they have, and then when you go under guess what their is A LOT of they will not take back Most of the time the only time you will see anyone from Matco it is to sign something or they are try to sell you more inventory . The startup inventory they send out is a joke on you, most of it is discontinued, or overpriced or doesn’t fit with your route, and stuck with most of it. This is a big one the quality of this stuff is not worth the price they want to charge you or the customer. You can go to a lot of websites and buy this stuff sometime 40% or more cheaper than they charge you for non Matco items, with out all the hassles of returning it.

I am in the process of considering a franchise to invest. After reading multiple reviews on the net – 95% negative – am steering away from Matco tools. All the comments are similar – Matco taking over routes, forcing distributors to carry unnecessary inventory, lack of help and worst of all forcing the franchise to carry customer/client debt. In todays economy why would a small business owner take on customer/client debt unless you’re a financial institution. Richard Dayton made a comment in which he basically stated “a business owner is responsible for their success” however on the flip side a proven franchise doesn’t have the high failure rate Matco tools seems to be churning out. Advise to anyone looking into franchises – do your homework and if you’re not reasonably savvy at understanding contracts, take the contract to a lawyer before signing.

Very GOOD advise Chris!!! If only this sight existed 10 years ago. Maybe it did but when I searched for information on Matco as a scam nothing popped up. Thankfully, this sight does pop up! I know the owner of this sight does not really care for me much but I have given him much information on how Matco Tools franchising works and maybe a little more insight to franchising than he really wants to see. I do know this though. No franchisee prospect can discern the information in 250+ pages of a Federal Disclosure Document. I think it is disgraceful that the Federal Trade Commission who is the one who came up with this idea of franchisors having to disclose information to franchisees so that an informed buyer can make a good decision is nothing but a magic act to lure franchisees into a spiders web so your financial life can be sucked out.

While I agree with Arthur about Matco being a joke I have sympathy for those who bought into the Matco franchise BS to earn a living for their family. Please don’t stop buying tools from franchisees because their franchisor is a joke.

These men who sell usually come from a mechanical background and are easy prey for con artist like DANAHER who run their Ponzi Scheme. Matco could run an ethical franchise business opportunity for their franchisees but they choose to CHURN them instead of keeping them in their franchise. Every year since Danaher purchased MTC (Matco Tool Corporation), which had relationships with their tool distributors as “Charters” and “Distributorships”, they have gotten rid of “Charters” and “Distributors” to make way for the new “FRANCHISEE” contracts. Lawsuits which cost Matco $100,000 of dollars with CHARTERS and DISTRIBUTORSHIP agreements 10 years ago now cost them the loss of an inventory and $20,000 to split with 30+ franchisees who identify Matco as the scum they are.

Together, with the IFA (International Franchise Association) and ALL the other franchisor participants Danaher has helped create a system which allows them to commit CRIMINAL ACTS against the “Franchise Laws” of a state because of an “Arbitration Clause” which says you will resolve disputes in THEIR state with THEIR JUDGES!!! This is why you NEVER see lawsuits against Matco (Danaher) in their FDD’s!!! Because there is no one who will put them where they belong! No franchisee would ever dream that a franchisor who acts criminally criminal against a franchisee could get away with it just because of a contract but that is why franchising exists. So investors can be FLEECED to keep Wall Street buzzing.

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has the capability to do something because I have NO DOUBT!!! the 4000 to 5000 franchisees, distributorships and charters Matco (Danaher) has churned since they purchased MTC more than 20 years ago have made complaints just like I have. I am sure the same could be said for the FBI who takes complaints and investigates CORPORATE FRAUD whom I have reported to. The IFC could hold their franchisor members responsible for their actions and rebuke the ones memberships whom take advantage of investors but I am sure that would leave them broke and useless as a NON-PROFIT if they did so! Beth Solomon would rather point the finger at me and tell me I am a failure. At the end of the day it is all about SCREWING an investor to make a bunch of DANAHER investors on WALL STREET MORE WEALTHY!!!

Ever heard of trickle down economics? That is exactly what franchising is! PUMP AND DUMP! I know who SUNTRUST BANK is. I know where money gets dumped from N.M.T.C! NMTC has nothing to do with Matco either. Ever heard of NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT? Is that why Danaher renamed MTC as NMTC Inc. dba Matco Tools? So they could have a good laugh about how our tax money gets dumped into banks so smucks like me who buy a franchise can transfer that tax money from a bank to Danaher Corporate investors?

I bet Todd A. Peterson, Russell Campbell, and all the rest of you probably voted Republican all your lives and ranted and raved about having less government and less government interference.

Now here you are ranting that the Federal Government (FTC) should be doing your homework for you, protecting you from your own bad decisions, and bailing you out cuz you got taken by the same greedy capitalist bastards you vote into office.

Isn’t that what you call a nanny state?

How many of you voted for Romney? You don’t think he or any of his right wing cronies would put his golfing buddy’s at Danaher ahead of you?

I like how you want less government til it come to saving your asses then you want a fully staffed FTC patrolling every franchise show and protecting your dumb asses. They get you hyped up on abortion and immigration to distract you while their 1%ers pick your pockets.

Here is my point Guest! Matco (Danaher) and it’s employee’s acting on behalf of its investors committed criminal acts against my franchise according to the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act. You know, the section of law that the UFOC states supercedes our contract. It is now called an FDD but when I signed up it was the Uniform Franchise Operating Circular. According to the laws of the state of Ohio, according to any employment law across America Matco (Danaher) is acting out of good faith, committing fraud, promoting a fraudulent opportunity to one investor to make another investor money. That is called a Ponzi Scheme! You want to blame me for investing but I didn’t just invest! I SUCCEEDED! What happens when your franchisor criminally sabotages your business because they don’t want investors to succeed? I know, you have probably never succeeded at anything in your life Guest. I think it is funny how people suggest I want more government when criminals commit crimes according to Franchise Practices Act in my state! I laugh at your stupidity to suggest that I didn’t do my homework before I bought my franchise. I will share with you that in my UFOC there were SEVERAL payouts by Matco to resolve unhappy “Charter” and “Distributorship” contracts. Did I know in 2004 that most lawsuits were not from “Franchisee” contracts? NO! Would it have made a difference in me investing in a Matco franchise had the District Manager told me that the FTC has nothing to do with insuring I don’t get screwed? Quite the opposite. He insured me that that is exactly why I needed to invest because big brother is making sure I don’t get screwed that is why the UFOC exists and they have to follow all these rules to insure I am given a fair opportunity. The FTC is there to make sure investors are not taken advantage of. I even pointed out where the FTC said they didn’t make sure my UFOC’s information was accurate but the information should help me make a decision. WTFE!!! I know now that the District Manager gets BONUSES for finding more victims so why would he tell me the truth! When you do business with another business that relationship should not be built on lies! Mine was! From the beginning! I would have never signed a contract had I known that Matco can violate the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act and because I signed a contract with an Arbitration Clause that no attorney will take my case or sue Matco for committing criminal acts. Who would sign a contract if the UFOC (FDD) stated that by signing an arbitration clause you give your franchisor the right to break Franchise laws. My UFOC stated that the laws of my state supersede my contract. But if the state and federal government does not enforce that law who will???

This is how your state will treat you when a corporation violates your State’s franchise law!
————————————————————————————————————–

RE: Consumer Complaint No. 14-02893, Todd Peterson

Dear Mr. Peterson:

This correspondence will acknowledge our receipt of your consumer complaint which was recently submitted to the Office of the Attorney General. Unfortunately, the situation that you describe in your complaint falls outside the scope of the authority of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Thus, we will not be able to handle the matter as a consumer complaint nor seek to facilitate a resolution of that complaint.
You may wish to contact private legal counsel of your choice to advise you regarding this matter.

We regret that we have been unable to assist you in this matter. However, if we can be of service to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Governmental agencies and courts do not view franchisees as “consumers” in terms of their franchise relationship. Rightly or wrongly, they consider them as “sophisticated investors” who are responsible for and capable of doing their own due diligence, hiring advisors, entering into contracts and resolving disputes through civil courts (which they often can’t afford to do.).

So, if you get screwed out of $199.00 membership fee from a health club, the AG will accept your complaint, but if you get screwed out of $199,000 buying a franchise from a shady health club franchisor, they’ll send you the form letter that you received.

Then why even have sophisticated and specific STATE FRANCHISE LAWS? If your state will not protect you from a franchisor fraudulently terminating your franchise then why did they make SPECIFIC laws to protect franchisees from franchisor fraud.

In my case there is absolute fraud and specific violations of the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act. How can a franchisor violate a States Laws and not be held accountable. Like I said, the acts committed by my franchisor are VERY SPECIFIC in the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act. For example the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act states an Arkansas Franchisee can not have his contract terminated for “Good Cause” if a franchisee has not been given 90 days to cure. Matco gave me a fraudulent reason to terminate my franchise and gave me 90 days to cure. When I received a fraudulent survey and threatened to lawyer up they gave me a new route and everything was just peachy because my purchase average was far better than 80% per each week leading up to the holidays.

215 days later I was terminated for the first letter which Matco stated was “Good Cause”. That is 125 days after the cure period and according to the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act” Matco should have given me 10 days to cure a repeat violation for “Good Cause” within the same year. Matco did not! When I drove all the way to Ohio to “amicably discuss this violation” the Vice President of Matco stated I never cured so they didn’t have to give me 10 days.

All of this is within the realms of the Attorney Generals office but I guess if you will cheat on your wife screwing an Arkansan investor so a corporate investor can violate the laws of Arkansas is a cake walk. Oh! Other violations would be that Arkansas Franchise Practices Act states a franchisor can not be terminated for “good cause” IF the reason for terminating is due to an unfair advantage that other franchisees might have.

No one should be terminated for “Purchase Average” in Arkansas EVER because that 80% of the National Average includes “Charter” and “Distributor” contracts in the 80% of the National Average who have territory’s instead of a LOC. Oh and they also do not have “Arbitration Clauses” in their agreements. It must be nice as a franchisor to know that state Attorney Generals are going to turn their eyes away from the criminal acts that franchisors commit in their state. I say criminal because these acts imposed on my franchise are FELONIES according to the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act. If I commit a felony I lose my second amendment rights, I could face jail time, I could pay a fine. If Matco commits a felony they just laugh because they buy off Attorney Generals, Senators, Representives through the International Franchise Association’s FRANPAC initiative.

I can not believe I live in the United States where elected officials refuse to do their duties to the people who put them in office. I do not accept that “franchise laws” created to protect my rights as a consumer can be trampled on by a corporation at the dismay of an elected official who’s duty is to protect his Arkansan citizens. I understand why it is happening but it does not make it right.

We live in a time where career politicians ride the fraud of corporations to take advantage of its people! America is not the America anymore. I can clearly see that the American people are second to corporations who embezzle and steal with the aid of elected officials. Again, very specific laws were violated in the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act’. Even a sophisticated investor like me should be entitled to protection by the Attorney Generals Office if they BLATANTLY violate “the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act.” What do you think would happen if I did things to violate the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act” in relation to my franchior?

Do you think Arkansas Attorney Generals office would ignore a franchisor who had acts committed against them by a franchisee in relation to the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act”? Do you think the courts in Arkansas would ignore a violation of the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act” if I violated Matco’s trademark?

I bought a franchise with the idea that the Federal Trade Commission would protect me. That idea came from my District Manager who said that is why Matco has to comply with FTC regulations which require a (then) Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) to be supply to a franchisee investor. I bought a franchise with the idea that my franchise was protected by the State of Arkansas due to the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act” listed in my UFOC. In the UFOC it states “Some states may have laws which supersede the agreement Matco and lists the “Arkansas Franchise Practices Act” as that law. TELL ME how a franchisor can list Arkansas Franchise Law in the UFOC as a protection but an AG doesn’t have to acknowledge IT’S OWN STATE LAW?

Todd A. Peterson you are obviously a liberal who wants to swell the government to the point where the nanny state will control every action a company can take so that poor franchisees don’t have to do their own homework or take responsibility for their own actions.

How much do you want to raise our taxes to have the FTC hold your hand? How bloated do you want the federal government to be? Do you really want big government in everybody’s lives and pocketbooks just because some mechanics wanted to play business owner and got taken by the Wall Street sharps?

Why don’t you leave your name guest? Why don’t you tell us who the hell you are? Are you that ashamed of your comments that you hide behind your name like a coward? You want to call me a liberal? My state laws and our elected constituents (AG) will not enforce the laws that Matco (Danaher) agree are binding in the U.F.O.C.? Since when is enforcing the law of a state calling for a NANNY STATE? I call it getting elected officials to quit swallowing corporate &#^$# and do what their supposed to do which is protect AMERICANS interest! Nothing American about corporate interest! According to the news corporations are getting big tax breaks to establish production overseas rather than the states. What is American about that? Screw over American investors and take production overseas? Who the HELL are politicians looking out for?

Hancock, You must be one of the over 200 attorney’s I have talked to that refused to take my case because of the Arbitration Clause. Every attorney I spoke with acknowledges the CRIMINAL acts committed against my franchise by MATCO (DANAHER) but they know that our government is defiled by attorney’s and judges who talk behind closed doors about what is best for them instead of what is best for an American citizen. Even though they are charged to look after the client that pays them they look after the corporate agenda’s over the American citizen. They sacrifice hard working, red blooded AMERICANS for the CULT they serve. A man can not serve two masters. Our forefathers designed our government to serve the American citizen. Corporations are actually a VIOLATION of our Constitution as most of them are overseas. Our government has created this beast that serves itself on behalf of the American people. One can not serve two masters. Their is the creator and the creature. WHOM DO YOU SERVE!!! GUEST?

Yes. Hancock! You are exactly right! We have had a two party system for a long time! Republican card has always aligned itself with God, the Constitution and serving the PEOPLE of America. The Democratic party has always been consumed by EVIL. Entitlements, Homosexuality, Murder, Surveillance, Taxes and so on. Not so much anymore! Both parties are no longer serving the American people, instead, they serve the elite (corporations, government contractors, big business) and use the American people as a platform to spend our tax dollars infinitely on things Americans are not asking for. Entitlements! All I want is justice against those who violated their contract and laws of my state which in the UFOC it states that those laws are greater than the contract I SIGNED! You know A HIGHER STANDARD! There will be MANY parties to come but until you get rid of one master the American people will ALWAYS be second to the ELITE government and the corporations that exist to do its bidding! Our government was designed to serve the people! That has not happened for a long time!

No Hancock! Your a moron! The Arkansas Franchise Practices Act does exist! It is the responsibility of an AG (elected) to investigate fraud in the state which is being presented to Arkansans. Matco Tools (Danaher) is THAT fraud which should be investigated. When you sign a contract with ANYONE and that person or entity does not fulfill that obligation the AG CAN intervene! In my case the AG is just another piece of elected #$%# who allows CORPORATIONS to fleece ARKANSANS! As YOU put it Hancock! Or whoever the hell you are since you can not go by your American or Communist name given to you at birth! I am NOT responsible to bring down a CRIMINAL CORPORATION! I and ALL the victims of franchise fraud combined do not have the funds to thwart the CRIMINAL actions of this CORPORATE identity! Only elected officials can do this! Officials who receive thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to hide the fraud of these CRIMINAL CORPORATIONS. Matco (Danaher) is a CROOK! They performed CRIMINAL ACTIONS against my SUCCESSFUL franchise! WHO THE HELL CARES! All you want to do is enrage me more about it. I get on here everyday and look at this sight. I have recently obtained a job after 3 YEARS because of the crap Matco (Danaher) has brought into my life. My love for America is fading fast because I recognize America is not America anymore. God doesn’t exist in America. God has been rooted out by a force called the POLITICAL ELITE who write checks the American tax payer can’t pay. If it isn’t so someone would have heard my cry and investigated what you KNOW to be fact! You say its my job to put Matco (Danaher) in its place but justice does not and should not come at a PRICE TAG! It should come with American elected officials who care and protect the American people from harm! Not allow Americans to be harmed because they are getting PAID to do so!

So Todd says “Republican card has always aligned itself with God, the Constitution and serving the PEOPLE of America. The Democratic party has always been consumed by EVIL. Entitlements, Homosexuality, Murder, Surveillance, Taxes and so on.”

So, Todd, you are against the party that is in favor of taxes, but you are upset that there’s not a big powerful taxpayer-funded FTC to babysit you and keep the big bad Wall Street tool company from fleecing you. How do you propose funding this FTC babysitting service? Ummm… taxes?

It’s sadly hilarious… The 1% manipulate the poor blue collar schlubs like Todd into supporting the very same people who screw over poor blue collar schlubs like Todd. Danaher probably spent Todd’s life savings on country club fundraiser dinners for folks like W. and Mitt Romney and McCain/Sarah Palin so that the God-fearing Republicans can continue to gut any control on Wall Street or the 1%.

Poor blue collar schlubs like Todd vote against their own best interests, then whine about the nightmare THEY created. Sorry, Todd, but being protected from your own stupid franchise investment is one ENTITLEMENT you voted to defund.

I should be able to sue in Arkansas with representation but finding an attorney when you have signed a contract with an “arbitration clause” proves to be impossible in your own state. They are afraid you will be FORCED into Arbitration in another state where they can not legally represent. Or if you find one they don’t really represent you to resolve the criminal intent of the franchisor. Instead they try to mediate instead of going to court. You see SCUMBAGS like Gerald Marks (Guest) watch this sight like a hawk! They are bottom feeders for WALL STREET cock roaches like Danaher. Attorney’s like Mr. Marks make franchisee fraud DISAPPEAR!!! It’s magic! You pay Mr. Marks $4000 and sign a contract stating he will get 40% of all awards and he will represent you in Arbitration if he can not mediate your claim. Of course Mr. Marks has NO intention of actually following through with an Arbitration. Mr. Marks will take 30+ clients and reject a lot more after it starts looking like he might be able to pull of a class action. Then instead of grouping American fraud victims together to fight a “JUST CAUSE” he will instead silence them by mediating their cases out of a court room so the fraud can go on and the truth can kept out of the public eye. Scum like Mr. Marks will create FALSE claims so they can dismiss clients they don’t want to represent. Oh! and when you try to find an attorney to sue the @#$% out of Mr. Marks even the ones who advertise that that is their specialty will not take your case. Even when you tell them you know for a fact that he has money because 30+ ex Matco franchisees just 40% of $700,000 and $4000 each. Not a bad paycheck for a piece of #$@# Wall Street @#$ kissing piece of crap. Has anyone heard about a franchisee with an “Arbitration Clause” that won a judgement because their franchisor committed criminal acts against a franchisee? I didn’t think so! Franchisors are THE BOMB!!! They are such a GREAT thing for the American people! SARCASM!!!

Capitalism-an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Ponzi scheme- a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the operator. Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors by offering higher returns than other investments, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent.

Ponzi schemes occasionally begin as legitimate businesses, until the business fails to achieve the returns expected. The business becomes a Ponzi scheme if it then continues under fraudulent terms. Whatever the initial situation, the perpetuation of the high returns requires an ever-increasing flow of money from new investors to sustain the scheme.

Does Matco (Danaher) exist to give their investors (franchisees) profit? Or does Matco (Danaher) use investors (franchisees) to profit from their GUARANTEED failure? FACTS: Every 5 to 6 years Matco rolls their franchisee contracts 100% Is this a CRIME? Do franchise attorney’s already know this? Do franchise attorney’s ever get to represent their clients in court with an American jury to judge criminal behavior?

There is NOTHING commercial about this dispute! CRIMES have been committed and my perpetrators have not been held accountable!

A dollar amount should not be put on AMERICAN justice! If I came up with the $100,000 an attorney told me he would need to wage war on Matco it would still not buy me justice for the crimes committed against my franchise.

Ponzi scheme- a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization (Matco/ Danaher) , pays returns to its investors (Wall Street investors)from new capital paid to the operators by new investors (franchisees), rather than from profit earned by the operator. Operators of Ponzi schemes usually entice new investors(franchisees) by offering higher returns than other investments(owning their own business), in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent(Unique unprofitable LOC).

Ponzi schemes occasionally begin as legitimate businesses(selling franchises), until the business (franchisees) fail to achieve the returns expected. The business becomes a Ponzi scheme if it then continues under fraudulent terms (unprofitable routes due to unqualified clients). Whatever the initial situation, the perpetuation of the high returns requires an ever-increasing flow (FRANCHISEE CHURN) of money from new investors to sustain the scheme.

According to Todd Peterson, ALMOST everyone is to blame for him losing his money.

Matco, danaher, The state of arkansas. The Federal government. The FTC. The International franchise association. Franchisor attorneys. Franchisee attorneys. The guy who held a gun to his head and made him sign a contract with an arbitration clause.

Seems like there’s only one person NOT to blame and that’s Todd Peterson, the guy who voted for less government and lower taxes all his life.

I’m sure he bored everyone within earshot about how he wanted the government out of his life and now he bores everyone within earshot about how the government should be responsible for protecting him from own decisions.

Next he’ll be saying that the nanny state should revoke the 2nd amendment so we don’t shoot ourselves, or that dumb people shouldn’t have the right to vote.

Matco may be a crap franchise investment it doesn’t rise to a Ponzi scheme since it never pays initial franchisees with money collecting form later franchisees. You kind of need that for it to be a Ponzi.

Now what does your attorney say about your options to get justice from Matco?

I feel your pain and know first hand the validity of your complaint. We were sold a lie. Matco and Mac both fraudulently sell distributorships/franchises to good hard working people that just want to better themselves. They prey on people like us and could care less that they have just killed our dreams, savings, and credit. These two clowns that you are talking with are probably just trolls and are enjoying getting you rattled. It took me a while but the best thing I did was cut my losses and filed BK. I have lost a ton but I am now able to re-build my life. I should have filed as soon as I got out but at least now they can no longer effect me. I finally enjoy life again and will one day have my credit back. I wish I could make them except responsibility and admit guilt. I wish I could end the cycle that they put people through and stop the churning. All we can do is continue to warn others! Say goodbye to Matco and start living my friend!

Whats your point? Todd has been violated and wants justice. He has a reason to be here and is expressing his frustration. In the process he is warning others and may find valuable info on dealing with this hole that he is in. Whats yours? Is this how you get off Handcock? Screwing with other people? What are you a Matco employee or are you just an ass? Go away!

Todd is the clown here. Believe me, Matco loves his crazy posts because he makes it easy to dismiss the failed franchisee complaints by showing them as a bunch of whiners who blame every one else and rant and rave about stuff they don’t understand. Who would listen to his crazy rants after he states that Democrats are consumed with evil, promote murder, homosexuality, etc. etc.?

What you say about Matco and Danaher is true. Rational people recognize that we need government leaders to start regulating franchises, to limit predatory corporate practices by companies like Danaher, and to stop repaying banks thru the SBA loan program. That will take money and political will.

Which party is more likely to impose regulation of franchising and limit the predatory practices of Wall Street firms like Danaher? Clearly the Democrats… the one that Todd nonsensically demonizes.

Someone said we get the government we deserve. If Todd and other Matco survivors want to vote for the likes of Mitt Romney & other friends of Danaher, it’s a free country. But the lack of oversight and protection that enabled you to be so easily exploited didn’t happen by accident… it was engineered by the conservative media & PR machine and fed to you nightly by FOX News, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly and the rest of them.

My next vote will not be for a Republican or a Democrat! It will be for an American! He won’t win for the same reason I can’t get an attorney to represent me in court. CORRUPTION! I love how some scumbag attorney from NJ gets on here to harass me about political views! Boy! You really want to distract the truth about franchising and the scum that is rising to the top don’t you? SBA loan fraud is the tip of the iceberg and the more scum sucking attorneys that get on here and give me crap is PROOF that attorneys are leaches on the American people. Another supposed public servant position supporting the CORPORATE EMPIRE instead of the American people. You might look back at previous posts where the same piece of crap heckling me is the same person doing it now. Anyone know an attorney that likes to sue scumbag attorneys who drops there clients without a good reason after being paid a retainer? I got $10,000 dollars and will let you have 30% of what ever you can get out of this piece of crap scum bag!

Wow! You sure contradict yourself! I thought attorney’s were hired guns? Now your telling me its because I am difficult! Why don’t you just stick with the truth. You don’t want people like me to spread the truth about the franchise industry. You want the fraud to stay in place so you can make a paycheck off victims rather than take victims and reverse the criminal intent.

I don’t have a commercial contract as you put it. I invested money into a business model that was promoted as a profitable model even during a hard economy! Of course screwing one investor to make other investors rich is not illegal! Wait!!! That is not supposed to happen in America because that would be a Ponzi Scheme and they are illegal!

You do realize that Matco’s opportunity for franchisees is blatant fraud? They use money that is not their’s to feed off franchisee failures that they create! Even if you play by the rules they just break them because they know that noone will hold them to the letter of the law.

Hell! It even says in Arkansas Franchise Practices Act that anyone who proves franchisor fraud will have their attorney fees paid in full. So why wouldn’t anyone buy a franchise in Arkansas? Or is this just another point to entice franchisees into buying into the fraud?

Everything you want to refute or discuss is meaningless to me! I paid my taxes! I ran my business! I was VERY VERY VERY SUCCESSFUL! I doubt there are very many franchisees that have ever done as well as I did with my Matco franchise! My problem is why was Matco allowed to commit almost every infraction of my States franchise laws and get away with it? You point the finger at me but if I was willing to pay and let an attorney PROFIT from my false termination and the criminal violations committed against my franchise why would one not represent me?

I will tell you why! Because I didn’t want to go to Ohio to arbitrate SHIT! Criminal actions do not FALL under the guide lines of a FALSE CONTRACT! Criminal actions should be pursued by a PROSECUTOR! YOU MORON TWIT! I am entitled to have those who committed acts against the Arkansas Franchise Practices Act here in Arkansas be held accountable for their actions!!! I should not have to pay a dime just like a person who was raped should not have to pay to have those who violated her be held accountable for their behavior. You are stating to me that I HAVE TO PAY to get justice for the crimes committed! I never entered into an agreement with Matco (Danaher) which would enable them to violate the laws of my state that were created SPECIFICALLY to protect me!!! Especially CRIMINAL intent!!!